Arrietty 2
by g96b10
Summary: Arrietty returns to Sho after living in a forest for half a year.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER 01**

Arrietty had moved out of her old home for about 6 months now. She spent her life searching the wild bushes and forest for berries and nuts. It was quiet, but too quiet for her. She terribly missed Sho, and even Spiller couldn't make her happy. She knew that while Spiller would probably be her best partner, she couldn't deny that she liked Sho more than Spiller. He had been so nice to her when he had found her. Leaving him was one of the saddest moments of her life. He was her first friend other than the crickets and bugs. She worried day and night if his surgery went well. She wanted to visit him so badly, but she couldn't let her parents worry.

One night, Pod was sitting at their table. Arrietty was cutting up the bread, while Homily was pouring out soup. Pod spoke gravely, "The humans have come near." Homily looked up, worried. "They haven't found us, but we may have to stop scavenging for a few days. We should have enough."

Arrietty did not say a word, but Pod still glanced at her. "Arrietty, do not go out and expose yourself again. You will definitely cause our demise."

Arrietty nodded, but whispered "Not all humans are bad, dad."

Pod slammed his fist against the table. She jumped. Pod had rarely ever gotten this mad. "Humans caused our race to die!"

Arrietty yelled back, "Did all of them kill us? Or did just a few?"

Pod lowered his voice. "They are all evil. Sho was a sick boy, that's why he couldn't do anything to you."

Arrietty shouted, tears in her eyes, "That's not true!" and ran out the door. She had had enough of his constant criticizing of humans. They aren't all bad, she told herself. She kept running toward the city that they were near. Spiller was out on his own borrowing expedition, so he wasn't there to stop her. Evening grew darker, and her legs began to ache. She was still wearing her house dress, and its color perfectly matched the ground around her. She climbed up a tree, a fell asleep, crying. In the distance, she heard her parents calling her name. "I'm not going back." She whispered to herself, before finally crying herself to sleep.

She woke up with the sun, whose beams shone right into her eyes. Her parents had given up searching for her, and the forest was silent. Arrietty would soon be in the city. She had her first borrowed item, a pin, with her. She never let go of it. She sat on the tree branch, imagining Sho and how he would be different. He'd be a bit taller than before. Maybe his eyes wouldn't look so tired anymore. Maybe… A bird swooped down, narrowly missing Arrietty. She ducked, and then climbed down quickly before the bird tried to attack again. Scurrying through the grass, she spotted human junk. She dashed past the piles of trash, and she remembered what Pod said about humans. Her eyes welled up with tears again, but she wiped them away and kept running toward the city. She was a Borrower indeed; she could run long distances without tiring. But she was a mini human nonetheless; her stomach began to growl not long after she began to run again.

She had skipped last night's dinner, and now she regretted it. But it was too late to turn back now. She spotted some berries that she had eaten with no harm before, so she picked a few and enjoyed the sweet berries. Once she was done, she got back on her feet and kept running. She walked sometimes, then jogged, then ran, the walked again. After a long day of travelling, she looked up and she saw the city. It wasn't that big of a city, but there were stores, cars, apartments, and a school. Night fell soon after, and she explored the dark and empty streets. She found an alleyway that was small, cozy, and hidden. She tip-toed into the alley, and glanced around. Food was readily available; a small crack in the wall led to a supermarket next door. She was peeking through the crack when she felt something behind her. She whirled around to stare into a rat's eyes. She had a flashback of when Pod told her not to mess with rats, or it could get really bad, really quickly. She pulled out her pin and held it like a sword. She would fight them because she could. She had to fight to stay alive now; she couldn't rely on anyone else. She held the pin out for a few seconds, before the rat retreated. She breathed a sigh of relief, but gasped. The rat hadn't retreated; it had brought help. The first one advanced on her, and she thrust the pin at it. It stuttered backwards a few steps, and then leapt at Arrietty. She didn't want to kill it, but she didn't want to die either. She stabbed its paw and it tumbled behind her, unmoving. The other 4 attacked together. She managed to dodge 2 and stab another's foot, but the third one swiped at her arm. 3 long gashes appeared immediately on her right arm, and she cried out in pain. She stabbed the last rat and ran into the supermarket, clutching her bleeding arm. She tripped over a crack on the tiled floor, and stayed on the floor, crying. After a few minutes, the pain subsided and the bleeding stopped. She looked at her right arm. It hurt when she tried to move it. She sighed. It was nearing midnight, and she needed to get some good sleep. She peeked out the crack into the alleyway, and the rats had all deserted. She cautiously slipped out and climbed up some cardboard boxes. She didn't have tools and her right arm was badly injured, so it took a lot longer than usual. But she was still determined to climb up, and she eventually did. She lied down on top of the box, and fell asleep almost immediately. She was exhausted from a day's travelling.

In the middle of the night, she suddenly woke up. She had heard someone say her name. She didn't know who, or where, but she was positive she heard someone call her. She heard it again, and this time she could tell it was Spiller. His voice was anxious, and Arrietty could tell he was worried about her. She faintly called back, "I'm here…"

Within seconds, Spiller was by her side. He saw her wound, but Arrietty told him she was fine. Spiller delivered the message that he was told to.

"Pod says that he is sorry for what he said about Sho, and for you to come back immediately." Arrietty started to cry again, but she held back the tears.

"Tell him that he is forgiven, but that I will not return. Not until I find Sho. I must know how he is doing."

Spiller tried to change her mind. "We don't even know if he's still here or not. I'm pretty sure he is alive, but he might be halfway across the world. If he is even a city away, you'd never get there."

Arrietty stayed firm. "I will find him. If he is dead, then I might as well die with him."

Spiller sighed. "Alright. I'll tell Pod and Homily. If you ever need help, call for me. I will hear you." With that, he leapt off the boxes and scurried into the night.

"Good-bye, Spiller." Arrietty whispered, before returning to sleep.

The next day was uneventful. Arrietty stayed in her alleyway for the most part of the day, except when she needed to get food. Several times, humans came near, and she would dash behind the nearest box. A little after noon, another human came by. This couldn't be anyone other than the Sho she was looking for. He caught her running out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, but she was no longer there. He wanted to call for her, but he was walking with his friends, and he couldn't let them know. Even though he really wanted to brag about having a tiny person as a friend, he knew Arrietty wouldn't like it; nor her father. Sho made a final glance before leaving. At the same time, Arrietty wondered if that was Sho. She had seen the human's dark hair, and his eyes for a second looked just like Sho. But she had hidden too early, and she wasn't sure. For the rest of the day, Sho couldn't focus on anything. Even though it was a Sunday and he was out with his friends, his thoughts kept turning to Arrietty. Arrietty was the same; she stumbled a few times while climbing up the boxes at night. She kept longing for Sho whom she might have met today. Monday rolled around the corner, and she was up by the time the sun came up. She heard the voices of lots of children grouped together. "It must be school," she thought to herself. She peeked out her alley, and spotted the same boy. He was too far for her to be able to tell if he was Sho. She quietly hurried toward the school. But by the time she arrived, the students were all in class. She was more scared than she had ever been. This was the first time that she had actually come out during the day for an expedition. This was a big risk; she was in a city or town. But the hallways were seemingly empty, so she scurried about, trying to find a good hiding spot. She settled behind a recycling bin. There was a space between it and the wall. When she heard the bells ring, she peeked out. But she didn't see Sho. Every time the bells rung, she would try to find Sho. But she didn't know that Sho's classrooms were on another hallway. For 2 whole weeks she kept hoping to see him. But by Friday, she had given up. She had wasted 14 days to find him, to no avail. She sighed, sinking by the wall. Maybe she was wrong; maybe Sho wasn't here.

For 14 days, Sho searched. He once entered the alley, but he couldn't find Arrietty. The rest of the time, he searched the hallways of his school, knowing that she'd probably be looking for him too. On Friday, he had already completely given up, and he was working on a project with his friends. He entered the hallway which Arrietty was hiding. Arrietty heard him talking to his friends, and her eyes welled up with tears. It was definitely him. She peeked cautiously out behind the bin, and Sho immediately saw her. His eyes widened at finding her, and he nodded slightly. His friends didn't see this slight movement, but Arrietty did. When he walked past, he bent down to tie his shoes, his pocket open. She looked around, then hopped into his pocket. As he stood up, he felt a feeling in his heart that he hadn't felt before. He was happy, happier than he had ever been. And Arrietty, in his pocket, began to cry. She had finally found him after half a month of waiting and searching.


	2. Chapter 2

She stayed in his pocket while he finished up his project. It was very uncomfortable, but now that she was with him again nothing mattered. Sho knew that Arrietty was uncomfortable, but he didn't know what else to do. He tried to leave as soon as possible, and the second he left the school and began walking in the street, he gently pulled her out of his cramped pocket and set her on his shoulder, like they had done before. They walked together in silence, each soaking up the happiest moment of their lives. It was Arrietty who spoke first. "Sho, how are you?" she whispered into his ear.

He smiled, and whispered back, "I'm great, now that you're here." Arrietty beamed, then asked a bit more urgently, "How was your surgery?"

Sho whispered in return, "It was ok. I had a bit of chest pain for about a month, but now I'm back to normal." Arrietty stayed quiet. She had noticed that his strides seemed much more powerful than before, and faster. His eyes were sharper, and his reaction was also much more rapid. For the first time, she felt a pang of fear. Now that he had the strength of a normal human, would he still be able to handle her as gently and slowly as before?

Sho seemed to read her mind, and he whispered, "Don't worry. I can still be very gentle. My muscles are still used to slow movement." Sho looked down, and saw Arrietty's fear, and slowed down. "Are you okay?"

Arrietty glanced up at him, and said "I'm fine." He knew something was up, but he didn't know what. Arrietty was in fact remembering Pod, and how he had told her that all humans were dangerous. His words echoed in her ears. She knew he was wrong, but yet…?

Sho glanced down at her again, a tiny person standing on his shoulder. Her brown dress floated effortlessly with the wind. Then he noticed the gash on her arm. He stopped walking, nearly tipping her over, and asked, "What happened to your arm?"

Arrietty snapped to attention, and replied, "Nothing. I was fighting some rats."

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore." She smiled. "Thank you for caring about me." She carefully sat down on his shoulder, and began to hum. It was a song that she had known for a long time; she had composed it during a rainstorm when she couldn't leave her old house. She hadn't a name for it yet, but she could feel herself described nicely in the song.

Sho heard her humming, and asked, "What song is that? Does it have lyrics?"

Arrietty turned red, and said, "I… I wrote it. I don't have a name for it. And it does have lyrics." She cleared her throat, and began to sing in her quiet voice.

I'm fourteen years old, I am pretty

I'm a teeny tiny girl, a little lady

I live under the kitchen floor

Right here, not so far from you

She kept singing in the voice she had practiced for so long. Sho was utterly enchanted. Her song indeed represented her wonderfully. He could feel her sadness and happiness at the same time. When she finished singing her song, Sho smiled and whispered to her, "That was wonderful, Arrietty. I didn't know you had such a beautiful voice." She blushed, and didn't say anything. Sho continued. "Call it Arrietty's song. It is your song, and you are in the song."

She thought about it for a moment, and replied, "I guess that would be okay. Mm…"

The rest of the walk was uneventful. Arrietty told Sho about her move, and her house. Sho listened intently, and he didn't utter a single sound until he had arrived home. Arrietty didn't know where they were going until she saw the fields and the huge house she had lived in for most of her life. She gasped, and Sho reassuringly whispered, "Don't worry. I won't let anyone know about you until you want me to." He opened his backpack, and she jumped in. He gave her a last smile before closing his backpack. He then carefully slipped the backpack back on.

He entered the mansion quietly, and he was greeted by Haru, his maid. She had been the one that had ultimately forced the Borrowers to leave their beautiful home. "Welcome home." "Haru, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like dinner in bed today. I'm so tired after working on that project." "No problem at all. Your heart is holding up fine?" "Yes. I'll be waiting upstairs." He climbed up the staircase with ease, and he quickly went into his room. He closed the door, and brought Arrietty back out. His room hadn't changed, and as Sho was preparing his homework, she tried to remember how to get back to her old house. She slowly climbed the wall, and pushed a panel that gave easily. This was it. She looked through the narrow passage that she had once travelled. She heard Sho softly calling for her, and she promptly left the passage and jumped onto the bed – too hard. Her legs buckled under the unfamiliar texture of the bed, and she heard her ankle crack. She almost yelped in pain, but she succeeded in swallowing the shout and instead, grabbed her foot, trying to ease the pain. Sho watched this unfold, and even his now much faster reactions couldn't help her.

"Stop moving, Arrietty. Don't touch your foot." Sho instructed. Arrietty tried to do as he said, but the pain was unbearable. She could call for Spiller, but then it would be like betraying her friendship with Sho. But Haru might show up at any time, and if she was seen she would be in big trouble. Before she knew what was happening, Sho carefully picked her up and set her on the roof. "Call for Spiller. I know he can help you." With that, he shut the window. He didn't slam it as she had expected, but he gave her a sympathizing glance before softly shutting the window.

Arrietty knew that she had no choice. "Spiller! Spiller! Where are you? I need help!"

Spiller, who was in the city borrowing some goods, heard her faint cries and immediately deployed his special flying-squirrel technique. It wasn't 20 seconds before Arrietty saw him gliding up speedily toward her. He was surprised to see her back at the forbidden house, but he had also somewhat expected this to happen. He saw her foot, and became worried.

"Hey, Arrietty. You sprained your ankle pretty bad. What happened? Did the human…"

"No, it was myself. I jumped onto his bed and I slipped." Spiller carefully inspected her leg, and wrapped it in a cloth so she wouldn't move it.

"I know you like that boy, Sho. This bandage will help with healing. Return to him; there is nothing more I can do. Just get plenty of rest." With that, we flew into the air once again, leaving Arrietty on the roof. She didn't know what to think; was Spiller mad at her, or did he understand? She sighed, and looked up at the already starry sky. She heard the door open in Sho's room, then a bit of conversation. The door closed, and she turned around. His room was empty except for him, and he was looking at her. She climbed onto her knees and crawled over to the window. She hit it a few times like she had done before to get his attention. Sho nodded, and he slipped out of his bed and opened the windows just a crack. He watched as the tiny person crawl painfully through the window, and he held out his hand. She climbed onto his palm, and he brought her this bed. He set her down on the pillow, and he broke off a small piece of bread from his dinner and offered it to her. Arrietty gladly accepted it, and began to eat.

That night, Arrietty fell asleep on Sho's desk while watching him work. He took a small cloth and lay it over her, and he continued to work. When he had completed his homework, he tiredly laid down on his bed. He smiled as he watched Arrietty sleep. They were back together again. Sho had long hoped for this day to come, and today it finally did. To him, Arrietty wasn't a pet, but a person that needed help. If she wanted to leave, she could. If she wanted to return, she could. He knew that Arrietty wasn't a hamster or mouse; she was a human with human thoughts. He would refrain from helping her too much, in case it offended her. But right now, she was hurt, so she probably couldn't borrow by herself. He fell asleep thinking about what he would do tomorrow.

Back at Arrietty's home, Pod and Homily were both very worried. Arrietty hadn't ever attempted anything this serious, and she hadn't returned. They had given up hope for their only daughter, and they acknowledged that she might be dead. Homily cried every time she saw a trace of Arrietty, and Pod could only sigh. Homily was in the middle of preparing dinner when she heard a knock at their door. "Come on in, it's unlocked." Spiller stepped in, and he got right to business.

"Arrietty is fine. I saw her today." And with that, he ran into the darkness once again.

Homily tried to understand. Her daughter was alive? What had happened to her? She ran out the door and shouted into the night, "Where is she?" But she heard no reply. Spiller had heard her shout, but he knew Arrietty would prefer to be left alone. She would tell them when she wanted to.

Morning came, and when Arrietty finally woke up, Sho had already left for school. She tried to stand up, but a sudden pain shooting up her leg stopped her. Then she remembered where she was, and she looked around. She was sure she had fallen asleep on his desk, but now she was in the small house made especially for Borrowers. She peeked outside the intricately detailed window, and saw Haru cleaning Sho's bed. Arrietty almost gasped, but she swallowed it and held her breath. Haru finished cleaning and left, closing the door behind her. Arrietty gave a sigh of relief, and then she began to explore the small house. Everything was made especially for Borrower use – the books were removable from the bookshelf and contained fine print; the cups were just the right thickness; the tables and chairs the perfect size and height. The electricity worked, so she could have light. But she swore to herself to never use the lights in case another human was nearby. She entered the kitchen, and it filled her with nostalgia for her old house, which this kitchen had been part of for just a few hours.

The teapot that Homily had used still contained the tea leaf that had been left inside when they moved. The aroma was weak, but she could still smell it. She carefully set down the teapot, and left the kitchen. She opened a wardrobe, and found assorted clothes that were just perfect for her. She picked out a dress similar to the red one she usually wore, but this one was slightly shorter and it was a beautiful sapphire blue. It fit her perfectly, and she danced a little in front of the mirror. Her hair flowed freely, since she hadn't found a suitable replacement for the one she gave to Sho. She wondered if he had still kept it. She slid her pin back at her waist, and she was almost back to her old self. Her leg still hurt though, so she stayed in the Borrower house reading books until Sho came home. She had read about half of a book when she heard Sho's door open. She quickly returned the book and erased nearly all traces of her existence. The only thing different in that house was that her house clothes replaced the blue dress. She hid underneath a table, and hoped for the best. She was lucky; the voice that called out to her was Sho's. She opened the front door to greet him, and he was surprised that she had changed clothes. "How's your foot, Arrietty?"

"It's ok. It still kinda hurts, but I think I can manage to walk." Her ankle was slightly swollen, but it wasn't as bad as last night. Sho nodded, and offered to carry her to his desk. She gingerly stepped onto his hand, and he set her down slowly on the desk. She limped over to his homework paper, and tried to read what it said.

"Essay… on… a… is that word 'friend' or 'fiend'?" Arrietty was so small, she had a hard time reading the rough print on his paper.

"It says 'Essay on a Friend'. Guess what my topic is." Sho smiled at Arrietty, and she turned slightly pink.

"It's me, isn't it."

Sho replied, "Yes. But I have to write about your history with me… is that okay with you?" Arrietty paused. If he wrote about her on his paper, she'd be immediately found out. Sho knew this too, and that's why he had asked. Arrietty had to weigh the options. Either Sho wrote about her and expose her existence, or he wrote about someone else to both of their disappointment. She desperately wanted to just say yes, but she knew that wouldn't be right.

She whispered, "I don't think you should. I don't know what would happen if you did." Sho nodded his understanding, then he started to write. He stopped after writing 'I have a friend named'. He didn't know what to write. He wasn't very liked by his schoolmates, as he had a not-so-good history. Most people were afraid of him because he had a new heart, and others just didn't like him. Arrietty was his only friend. He sighed, and dropped his pencil. Arrietty saw his distress, and she sighed. She sat down on the desk, and thought it through a little bit more. Then she finally spoke up.

"Sho." He turned tiredly toward her. "Sho. Go ahead and write about me." He sat up straight, causing Arrietty to flinch a little.

"Oh, sorry. But are you sure?"

Arrietty dipped her head, and continued, "Just don't write about how small I am, or what I do for a living. And don't mention my parents, or where I lived." Sho understood why, but he was running out of ideas to write as she crossed them out.

"Wait, Arrietty. Tell me what I can write." He took his pencil and looked intently at Arrietty.

"Well, I guess you could say that I was your only friend when you were sick. And that I had to leave because of family matters." Sho jotted all this down on a piece of lined paper. "You could also mention that you helped me out a few times, and that you were my only friend." Sho nodded, and kept writing. "I guess that's it… is that enough?"

Sho glanced at Arrietty. She wasn't kidding. She was serious; this was all he could write about. He gazed at his paper, before finally agreeing. It wasn't much, but he could manage. And he could add a side note to his teacher that Arrietty didn't want so much information about her released. Arrietty watched as his pencil seemingly flew over the paper, and how the tip of the pencil kept getting duller and duller. By the time Sho had finished, Arrietty had dozed off. He prodded her lightly with the eraser end of his pencil and woke her up. "Hey, if you're gonna sleep, I'll take you back to the house for now." She nodded sleepily, and climbed onto his hand. Being careful as to not drop the hazy girl, he slowly walked over to the house and set her into the bed. He whispered good night to the little Borrower. He heard her reply, and he gently closed the front wall.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 03**

Arrietty woke up with the sun (as always) and stretched. She had been living in secrecy with Sho for nearly 2 weeks now, and her leg had healed completely. She had done all there was to do – she had tried to write with a gigantic pencil, tried to erase with a heavy eraser, she had visited her old house and cricket friends, and she had went into the field and garden to pick flowers for Sho. Every day seemed to be full of old things to be rediscovered, until today. There was literally nothing left to do. It was a Sunday, one day before 2 weeks had past. Sho was sleeping in, and he was tired from finishing up his homework last night. Arrietty flung her hair around to try and settle it, but she was growing annoyed at her long hair. It didn't match the dress well enough. Then she remembered her hair clip. Sho hadn't told her about it, so she assumed it was gone. But since she had nothing better to do, she thought to herself that she might as well try to find it. She slowly crept out of her house, and lightly landed on Sho's bed. She didn't hurt herself this time, and she gave a small sigh of relief. Sho mumbled something, and Arrietty held her breath. After a moment of silence, she continued on her way to his desk drawer. She was lucky; it was open just a crack.

She trekked across his desk full of papers and eraser shavings and pried open the desk. She slipped into the desk, immediately surrounded by darkness. She kept forcing the desk open until the light was enough for her to see inside the desk. She poked and prodded all his stuff, but she couldn't find her hairclip. She sighed, and was about to leave the drawer when she spotted a smallish object that just might have been pink. She dashed over, and gasped with delight. It was her hairclip alright; and it looked untouched. It was exactly as she left it. Sho had taken good care of her good-bye present to him, and Arrietty nearly cried again. She shook her head. She was crying way too much lately. She picked up the hairclip, and clasped it upon her head once again. She flung her hair from side to side, ensuring that it wouldn't fall off. Then, she heard Sho waking up. He stretched and let out a small groan. She quietly tip-toed out of the desk, and Sho spotted her immediately. He smiled when he saw that she had found the hairclip. He didn't mean to hide it, but he had completely forgotten about it after she arrived. "That hairclip looks good on you."

Arrietty blushed, and replied, "Because you took such good care of it." He gave a small grin, and left the room to brush his teeth. Before she stepped out of the desk though, she saw a small notebook inside Sho's desk she hadn't noticed before. It was small enough for her to open it, and she could open it inside the desk. She slowly lifted up the front cover, and gasped.

_This morning, when I arrived at my Aunt's house, I spotted a girl who was smaller than my hand._

She grew red, and her heart almost stopped when Sho entered the room. "Arrietty?" She clambered out of his desk, still flushed. He observed her, and immediately knew she had found his journal. "Did you… see it?" She nodded. There was a moment of awkward silence, and Sho spoke. "It's okay. Don't worry, you aren't in trouble. I would have had to show you what it said later anyways. It's okay." She didn't speak. Even though she had only read the first sentence of his journal, she knew what probably would come next. Sho noticed her distress, and offered to take her out into the garden. Sometimes he would just lay on the rock like he had done once upon a time and dream of Arrietty. Now that she was here, he didn't need to anymore. But all the same, he still wanted to relive that moment. Arrietty glanced at his hand, and hesitated. She trusted Sho; she always had, but she hadn't finished the journal. What if he couldn't be trusted? Arrietty looked up into Sho's eyes, and she saw the trueness and purity of his intentions, and all doubt was gone. She gave him a little smile, and hopped onto his palm. Sho gave a silent sigh of relief. He thought Arrietty might have insisted on finishing the journal, which he wasn't quite ready to show her yet. He slipped her carefully as always into his pocket. He walked quietly into the garden, and lied down on the stone. She crawled out of his pocket and landed softly on the grass. She hadn't been out here for so long that she had forgotten the beauty of the garden. But she remembered that this was where she had revealed herself to Sho first. And this was also the place where she had realized that Earth was populated with over 6.7 billion people, and that the Borrowers were becoming extinct. She stood, remembering all the time she had spent here. When she was little, she had sometimes come all the way out here to play. Sho and Arrietty remained silent for a while, and they stayed outdoors until the sky began to turn a beautiful shade of red. Sho held out his hand, with a light smile on his face. Arrietty took a last glance at the garden, and then leapt onto his hand. He carried her back to the house, and dropped her inside the small house. Sho had attached a small water bottle onto the house, so she had running water, and a small cable that fed her electricity. She took a short, warm bath and slipped back into her house clothes. Sho had plenty of homework that night, and Arrietty kneeled on his desk, helping him out when he needed it. She was learning what he was; he was studying Trigonometry. Although it hurt her head if she thought about it for too long, it was fun to watch the numbers dance and turn out perfect. Sho didn't seem to enjoy it too much, so he was glad to have Arrietty help him. She quickly produced answers, and they were mostly correct. Sho was done with his homework in no time.

Sho lay on his bed, pondering his feelings for Arrietty. She was silent, lying in her house. He knew he didn't love her, but she wasn't just an ordinary friend either. He felt like they were childhood playmates, even though they had known each other for just half a year. He felt like he knew everything about her and that she knew everything about him. They could've been childhood friends, or brother and sister. He felt deeply connected with her; he felt her pains, and her happiness. And he knew she did too; she would grow worried if his breathing grew heavy. At the same time, Arrietty stared at the ceiling. She was also thinking about Sho. She definitely didn't and couldn't love him; he was a huge human bean that she couldn't possibly love. But she liked him very much. She felt her heart grow all warm and fuzzy when she saw him, but she wouldn't blush. They were definitely not friends either; their connections were much deeper than that. When he looked overly exhausted, she would feel her own energy draining like she was the one that had been exhausted. What was this eerie connection? She sighed, and turned over onto her side. She'd figure it out tomorrow. Her head was filled with numbers that just wouldn't leave.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter ****04**

Sho was stepping out of his aunt's car. He held Arrietty in his right hand. She was lying down, eyes closed and smiling. Sho whispered worriedly to her, "Are you okay?"

Arrietty grinned tiredly and replied, "I'm fine. I'm just really tired. Can I sleep for a while?" Sho nodded. She sighed, and slowly relaxed. Sho turned around to close the car door. He walked on a sidewalk that led to a tall building. He climbed up some stairs carefully and slowly so as to not wake the sleeping girl. He glanced down, and she wasn't there. He gasped, and look around him. Did he drop her? If she had fallen from his hand, she would surely die. But there was no sign of her blue dress. He ran down the stairs, but he couldn't see her. He looked back at the sidewalk, which began to crumble behind him. She wasn't there. He ran towards the car, which was fading away. She was nowhere to be found. He shouted her name over and over again, but she did not reply. Slowly, everything around him turned black until he was in the vast emptiness of space.

One star shone, and it whispered to Sho, "Goodbye, Sho." He tried shouting something, but he couldn't make a sound.

Sho woke with a start. Tears were streaming down his face, and his shirt was all sweaty. Arrietty stood in her home clothes beside his bed, a worried look on her face. Sho looked at her for a second, then sighed a breath of relief. Seeing that he was alright, Arrietty relaxed as well.

"You scared me half to death, Sho. You were shouting my name." Sho turned red.

"I'm sorry. I had... A bad dream. Did I wake up anyone else?"

"I don't think so." Sho laid back down on his pillow, which was soaked. His breathing was still heavy, so Arrietty jumped onto his bed and leapt onto his pillow. She whispered sweetly into his ear, "It's okay. I'll always be here." Sho smiled, and went back to sleep. Arrietty slowly walked back into her house, glancing backwards to make sure he was really alright. She had been woken up from her sleep when she heard Sho hoarsely whispering her name. Then, his cries grew louder and more desperate, and he had begun sobbing. She had initially thought his heart was failing him, but when he began to cry she knew he was just having a nightmare. She clambered into her bed, and thought to herself that she'd find out what his dream was about tomorrow.

When she woke up, Sho had already left for school again. On his desk, he left a note to Arrietty. I'll explain everything when I get home. Wait for me out in the garden. I hope that isn't too long of a walk for you. Arrietty sighed, folded up his message, and dropped it into the trash. If his aunt or Haru had seen that, she'd be in big trouble. She waited for him in the garden for the whole day, picking flowers and fragrant leaves while humming her song. She was wearing her blue exploring dress, and she was nearly invisible among the brightly colored flowers. When Sho returned home in the afternoon, Arrietty knew something was up. He looked exhausted, and his eyes were somewhat dazed. He slowly made his way up onto the little hill where Arrietty was. He sat down tiredly and sighed. She cautiously asked, "What's wrong?"

"I don't know. I just feel so sore right now..." He looked at her, and seeing her in the same dress she wore in his dream, he remembered that he needed to tell her about it. He explained what he could remember about his nightmare, and how he had woken up to see her. Arrietty listened intently, knowing that this showed he really cared. Normally, she would laugh, but she knew that this time it just wouldn't be right. Sho sighed when he finished retelling the story. Arrietty nodded her understanding, and presented the collection of flowers she had collected to him. He smiled, and extended his hand to accept her gift. Arrietty's smile turned into a frown when she touched his hand.

"Sho, are you having a fever? Your hand is so warm! Give me your forehead." Sho reluctantly leaned forward toward her. She touched his forehead lightly, and practically shouted at him, "Your forehead is burning hot! You better go in and tell Haru." Sho felt his own forehead, and realized that he had been sick ever since he had arrived at school. Arrietty continued her scolding. "It must've been your clothes. You were sweating so much and your shirt was all wet, and you didn't bother to change out of it before you slept. I think you caught a cold, Sho." He nodded, and offered to carry Arrietty back inside. "No, you go and tell Haru. I'll get back without trouble. Now hurry, before it gets too serious." Sho gave her a weak smile, and walked toward the house. Arrietty watched him go indoors, before sighing and making her way into his room.

She navigated through the dense forest of weeds and grass, climbed up the vine that she had memorized, and over the hot roof. She slid herself under the window, and trekked to her house. Right after she entered her living room, Sho's door opened and Haru rushed in with him following. Arrietty watched the chaos and fuss for a while until Haru had left. She slowly crept out the back door, and clambered over to Sho.

He smiled at her when he saw her, and said, "You were right. I have a fever."

Arrietty frowned, scolding him, "This isn't a time to laugh. I am still worried about your heart."

Sho saw that she had really been scared, and he quickly apologized, but he kept his smile.

"Then why are you still smiling? Stop it!"

He kept the corners of his mouth curling upwards in a silly manner, and soon Arrietty was smiling with him. Sho finally spoke.

"Remember when I told you that I wanted to protect you? Well, when you were fussing over me out in the garden, I remembered it. How ironic this is; you are the one that is caring for me." Arrietty laughed cheerily, also remembering that time. She nodded, and then told Sho to get some more rest. Sho reluctantly agreed, and he slipped under his covers. Arrietty whispered good night into his ear, and he whispered it quietly back. With that, she slipped into her house, and sat in the dining room. She sighed, and gave herself a sad smile. She was only a tiny person, barely human, and yet here she was, caring for a boy many hundred times her size. She didn't know why, but she felt that she was supposed to somehow. She slipped under her covers and was about to fall asleep when she heard Sho whispering for her. She shot out of bed and out her front door, and looked anxiously at him. Sho's expression was apologetic as he asked, "Oh, did I wake you? I'm sorry."

Arrietty breathed a sigh of relief as she replied. "No, I was awake. What's the matter?"

Sho turned to face the ceiling, and whispered, "What are we?"

"Huh?" If he could turn red in the dark, he did so now.

"I mean,… uh, are you my friend?"

Arrietty started to reply, but stopped. Her eyebrows relaxed and her eyes softened, and she replied, "No, Sho. We aren't just friends." Sho paused, as if waiting for her to continue.

Seeing as she did not, he asked, "Then what are we?"

"We're siblings, Sho. Not by parents or adopting parents. We are siblings in our emotions and feelings."

Sho remained silence as he repeated her words in his head over, and over, and over again. The silence grew uncomfortable, and Sho whispered with care, "I promise that I won't ever treat you as a pet, even though it is my instinct."

Arrietty grinned slightly, and said into the darkness, "Thank you, Sho. Now you'd better sleep, or else you may stay sick for a long time."

"Good night, little Borrower."

"Good night, big Human." The faint click of Arrietty's front door echoed into the night, and for once Sho felt at peace with himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Arrietty rubbed her eyes and yawned. She had slept well last night, especially after she had finally settled upon her relationship with Sho. She groggily dragged her feet out of her front door, still wearing her house clothes. She glanced at the bed, and she nearly fell off the steps. Sho was sitting under his covers reading. He glanced over at Arrietty, and his smile was wiped clean. "Oh, Arrietty! I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

Arrietty panted, "You bet you did! Why are you still at home? You should be in school!"

Sho replied, calmly, "I still have a little fever, so I'm staying home today."

Arrietty caught her breath, and made her way across the hills and canyons of Sho's blanket. She extended her right arm toward his forehead, and he leaned down slowly. She felt his forehead for a few seconds, then muttered,

"Your forehead still feels hot…;"

Sho sighed and leaned back upon his pillow. He set the book down on his lap, and Arrietty noticed the book for the first time. "What are you reading?" He picked her up and set her on his shoulder so she could see, and picked up the book. She squinted, and read, "The Five People You Meet in Heaven". She looked disapprovingly at Sho. "Are you still so keen on dying?" Sho laughed, nearly knocking Arrietty off. She tumbled down his arm, and he caught her before she hit the bed.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean-"

"I'm fine. What's so funny?"

Sho explained how his homework was to read this book; it wasn't his own choice. Arrietty turned pink, and frowned embarrassed.

Someone knocked on Sho's door, and a voice asked, "May I come in?"

Arrietty's heart skipped a beat, and Sho quickly but tenderly transported her back onto her front door steps. She ran into her house, and closed the door as Sho said in a sleepy voice,

"Huh? Oh, Haru, please do."

Haru opened the door and asked apologetically, "I'm sorry, did I wake you up?"

Arrietty heard Sho say something in return, and she sighed. She couldn't possibly live like this; hiding from humans all the time. She searched her bookshelf for Sho's book, but didn't find one. The voices outside her house continued, along with the sounds of a very loud vacuum cleaner.

Arrietty sat her dinner table, mind drifting away in the din of the vacuum. She had changed into her borrowing dress. Her thoughts wandered to her parents, and for the first time, Arrietty felt worried. Her parents were starting to get a bit old, and they probably couldn't go scavenging like her. When Haru left and Sho whispered for her to come out, Arrietty explained her thoughts to him. He listened intently while she spoke, and nodded his understanding.

"Go, then."

"What?"

"Go and visit your parents. Stay for a week, a month, a year. Your parents are more important than I. Just don't forget me." He said the last sentence with a sad smile, and he opened the window for her. A tear fell from Arrietty's eye, and she hugged his finger once again, and bid farewell. Sho watched her go with a tugging at his heart. He knew what he was doing was right. He would have gone with her, but the reason she had left in the first place was because of him. He sighed, and looked back at the miniature house. He was going to be quite lonely.

Arrietty traced her route. Although she had only taken that path once, her Borrower instinct allowed her to navigate the dense shrubbery. She arrived at her house just a few hours later. She knocked quietly upon the door that she had helped set up, and when it opened she was embraced over and over again. Tears soaked her dress, but she didn't mind. When she finally had a seat at the table she knew all too well, she described her life after she had run away. When she got to the part about Sho, Homily shrieked and Pod held his breath. He glanced sharply out the window, and Arrietty reassured him that Sho wouldn't follow her.

"Dad, I know him. He knows that he was the cause of our move, and he doesn't and never has wanted to hurt us. Trust me on this, dad."

He turned to face Arrietty. "Are you planning on going back?"

Homily interjected, "You mustn't! He is a human no matter what!" Arrietty tried to keep calm. This was steering toward what had forced her out last time.

"I have lived safely with him for so long. Why would he want to harm me now?"

Pod sighed, and continued. "If you are, I cannot stop you. He doesn't seem to be of any harm, and I can understand that. Arrietty, the thing is" he clasped his hands together, "what if you are found by someone other than Sho? What would happen then?"

"I won't. I've learned my mistake."

Pod nodded, and said solemnly, "Alright then. Pack some of your belongings and go back to him."

Arrietty was surprised. "What? Why?"

Pod smiled for the first time since arriving. "I know you like the boy. We can survive fine without you; at least for now. Go grab your stuff and go back."

Arrietty turned pink at his comment, and shook her head. "I want to stay with you for a while first."

Pod sighed. "I know that you are worried about us. But I am still a good Borrower, and Homily" who had been silently for this whole time "can scavenge. Don't worry about us."

Arrietty tried to think of an excuse to stay. "It's getting dark though. Can I sleep in my room for tonight?"

"Sure."

Sho was quite startled when he found her climbing up the roof the next day, carrying a large bag. Arrietty was too, seeing that he was at home and not at school.

"Why aren't you at school, Sho?"

Sho described how his fever got worse overnight.

Arrietty sighed, and said, "You just can't live without me, right?"

Sho smiled and nodded, before asking why she had left so soon. Arrietty painfully explained how her parents knew about them and told her to go you him. It confused Sho a bit, because he had expected her to never return. He shrugged, and carried the tired Arrietty and her bag of clothes and other possessions she had kept. As he laid her in the tiny bed and told her to rest, he caught the sight of a small smudge of brown outside his window. Arrietty saw it too, and leapt out of bed. But their slow reflexes were no match for the highly trained wild borrower, Spiller. He dodged away and was out of sight almost immediately. He had seen Arrietty walk sadly out of her house with her belongings, Homily waving good bye and Pod sighing. He followed her all the way to Sho's house to make sure she stayed safe. Even though he knew that although he liked her he was only her friend, he had an urge to protect her. He knew he wasn't going to achieve anything; her persistent and proud personality may have made things worse. He glided off the rooftop, heading towards the forest once again.

Sho glanced at Arrietty without a hint of contempt. He understood that the Borrowers were a very different race than humans, and that they couldn't be judged so easily. "Arrietty, who was that?"

Arrietty dipped her head, and replied softly, "That was Spiller, another borrower. He was following me here, but he thought I didn't know." Sho nodded seriously, and nudged for her to continue. "He's just a friend, Sho."

"Oh, you needn't worry about that. I'm not jealous or anything. I just wanted to know why he was here." He grinned genuinely, and Arrietty smiled back.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

Sho woke up the next morning and prepared for school. His fever had receded, and he felt much better. He picked up his backpack and was about to head out the door when he heard Arrietty calling for him. She was back in her old, red borrowing dress. Sho definitely preferred her red dress over her new blue one, but he didn't mention this. "Good morning, Arrietty. What are you up to?" "I want you to take me to school with you." Silence fell, and Arrietty repeated a moment later, "Take me to school." Sho asked nervously, "But how? I can't keep you in my pocket, or my backpack!" "How about your shirt pocket?" Sho thought about it for a while, and then nodded. He lifted her carefully into his chest pocket, and set her inside gently. "When I get to school," he whispered, "I'm going to put you into my bag." "No, keep me here. Now you better hurry before you are late." He shuffled slowly down his stairs, ensuring that Arrietty didn't fall out. He suddenly remembered his nightmare, and shivers rippled through his spine. Arrietty noticed a change of expression, and she immediately knew that he had just recalled his nightmare. She patted him through his shirt, trying to soothe him. Sho calmed himself down, and headed off to school, munching on a bagel while picking a small piece off and tucking it into his shirt pocket.

When they finally arrived, she peeked out of his pocket, and saw more people than she had ever seen together. Boys, girls, adults, children, all shuffled about. The children chattered among themselves, walking in the same general direction. The adults were engaged in conversation while holding mugs of some brown liquid. She was stunned, since she had never been in such a risky and dangerous situation. She heard Sho whisper something, but over the din of all the people it was too quiet. She replied, "I can't hear you. What did you say?" Sho whispered a little louder, "Are you comfortable?" Arrietty smiled, and said, "I'm fine." The bagel was delicious, but it was still quite a large breakfast for a borrower, and she was feeling somewhat sleepy again. "Sho… Sho…" Sho looked down into his shirt pocket. "I'm going to sleep for now. I'm not used to waking up so early. He nodded slightly, and looked back up. Arrietty dozed off for a while, and woke suddenly when the bell signaling the end of the first period. She looked expectantly at Sho, who told her that it was a history lesson, and math was coming next. Arrietty peeked entranced over his pocket as the numbers and letters floated through her head. She had never learned so much in one day! Sho was glad that he had brought her along – he was having fun along with her, even though he didn't show it. She was right; they were just like siblings. The day went on with Arrietty cramped up in his pocket, eating scraps of food that he dropped in during lunch, and resting when she was exhausted from all the new knowledge.

School ended, and Arrietty was completely worn-out. "How do you endure every day like this? It's like a stream of knowledge that never stops!" Sho grinned without looking down, wary of all the people around him." I can stand it because it's what I've done for nearly my entire life." "Hmm." She held her head in two hands, groaning. "I'm getting a headache now. Can you hurry home? I need to rest my brain." Chuckling to himself, Sho quickened his pace just a bit so that it wouldn't cause discomfort to the little Borrower in his shirt pocket. When he finally dropped his backpack beside his desk, Arrietty peeked out of his pocket. The world was spinning around her, and she nearly fell out of his pocket. She caught Sho's eye, and he knew that she wasn't feeling well immediately. He grabbed her quickly but softly and ran to her house. He opened the front wall, laid her down onto her bed, and turned off the lights. Arrietty smiled, and closed her eyes. "Thank you, Sho." "Don't thank me now. Rest now, because I am worried." Arrietty giggled a little, then said, "You needn't worry; I'll be fine." Sho closed the wall gently, and heaved a big sigh. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let her go to school with him. But tomorrow was Saturday, so she'd have all the rest she needed.

Arrietty stood on Sho's shoulder as he took her back out into the garden. He still had homework to finish, but Arrietty was more important to him. He carefully sat down on his rock, and Arrietty climbed down his arm into the grass. She hummed her song, and Sho joined in a little bit. When they had finished singing the chorus several times, Arrietty noticed something. "Uh, Sho?" "Yes?" "How can you hear me?" "What?" "I'm humming in a very soft voice, and the wind would have carried m voice far away. How can you still hear me?" Sho froze. She was right; he had heard her voice clear in his head, like she was a normal human humming. Arrietty did not move either. Maybe he was learning to hear and listen for her voice, like the way she could hear her mother's scream, even from a borrower's kilometer away. [sidenote: this idea comes from ~cewilson5.] Arrietty tried talking in a quiet voice, instead of her usual shouts. "Sho, can you hear me when I speak like this?" She looked up, but Sho made no movement. Disappointed and confused, she was about to dip her head when he slowly nodded and turned his head toward her. "I heard. You asked if I could hear you if you spoke like this." He faced the sky, and asked nobody in particular, "How?" He paused, then asked again, with more urgency, "How?" He jumped up, frightening Arrietty, and shouting at the afternoon sun, "How can I hear you?" Arrietty, in her own normal voice, asked, "What if Haru hears you? Or your aunt?" Even though Sho's ear was further from Arrietty than normally, he heard her like she had spoken into his ear. "They are out buying groceries. They left when you were still asleep." They spent the rest of the afternoon in silence, soaking in the midday sun and the wonders of Sho's uncanny ability. "Sho, go into the house." He looked down at Arrietty, who repeated her statement without making eye contact. "Go into the house." "Why?" "Just do it." He shrugged, and obliged. Arrietty watched his back grow smaller and smaller until he set his foot inside. Then, she called out, "Sho, if you can hear me, come back here and pick a green flower." It was a trick; there were no green flowers around her. She watched as Sho hurriedly ran back toward her and frantically trying to find something. After a few seconds, he gave up. "Arrietty, I can't find a green flower." She didn't know if she should smile or be terrified. Was it a good thing that a human bean could hear her so clearly? Sho noticed her distress, and soothingly whispered, "It's okay. Don't worry. At least now if you ever get lost I can find you." She nodded hesitantly. She still wasn't sure if this really was a good thing. She sighed. At least she knew he wouldn't use this against her. She lifted her head and stared into Sho's eyes. She smiled, and then said, "Alright. Don't you have homework you need to do?" He nodded sadly, then extended his hand. She shook her head. "I want to stay out here. I haven't gotten too much fresh air lately, and I need to keep up my strength." Sho nodded, and said a soft "Seeya" before he walked off.

"Arrietty, wake up. It's time to go back in now." Arrietty yawned and rubbed her eyes. "What?" "You fell asleep on my leg. You've been out for 2 hours now. She jerked upright. "Two hours? And you haven't moved?" Nope." Sho replied with a smile. "C'mon, lets get back inside. I still have to finish my homework." A yawn was her only reply, but she slowly pulled herself up and allowed Sho to carry her back.


	7. Chapter 7

I see you want to read chapter 7! Because of the somewhat hassle-ful upload system of , I've since stopped uploading my stories here. If you want to keep reading, please do so at my deviantART: .com. I'm got many more chapters there, as well as my fanart and a lot of other work there. Thank you all for your continued support and reading my Arrietty fanfiction!

As a teaser, here's the beginning of chapter 7, just to get you hooked:

Sho was always very nervous about Arrietty, now that she had the freedom to do whatever she wanted. He was always afraid that she might run away from him, or Haru might catch her,  
or she might hurt herself. And it did not reassure him at all when he arrived home to see Arrietty lying face first on his desk, unmoving. "Arrietty?" No response. His heart began to race. "Arrietty?!" He dashed over and gently flipped her onto her back. She groaned slightly, but made no other sound.


End file.
